John Ramsey Sladen – attended Shrewsbury School and was commissioned Second Lieutenant, Bengal Artillery, June 1842; Lieutenant 1845, Brevet Captain, July 1845; Captain 1857, Major 1866, Lieut Colonel 1866 and retired as Major General.

Gwalior campaign 1843; present at the battle of Maharajpore.

Served with the force under Sir Charles Napier against the Belochee Hill Tribes;

Served with Major Fordyce’s Troop of Horse Artillery at Goojerat;

Commanded a Field Battery on the Punjab frontier 1851-61, serving with the Punjab Irregular forces, and Specially thanked by the Government for services against the Affreedees in 1855.

Served with the expedition under Brigadier N.B. Chamberain to the Meeranzaie Valley and Upper Koorum in 1856;

Present at the operations in the Bozdar Hills, 6th-21st March 1857; during the latter he was in command of No.1 Punjab Light Field Battery and is mentioned in ‘Red with Two Blue Stripes’ : ‘In the centre Wilde (Capt. 4th Punjab Infantry), who had not been content with a mere covering role, was also moving forward and supported by Lieut. J.R. Sladen’s field guns had occupied successive ridges along the enemy front. Chamberlain now judged the situation was moving in his favour and ordered his central reserve of Major G. Gordon’s 1st and 3rd Sikhs to up the Pass itself. Lieut. J.R. Sladen “plied the enemy with shell” and Captain R. Renny with a company of 3rd Sikhs carried the nearest ridge losing three men wounded’;

Captain, September 1857; he commanded his Battery in the expedition against the Kabul Khel Waziris, December 1859.

Had a distinguished military career rising to the rank of Major-General in the Bengal Horse Artillery. Was married three times, his second wife being the sister-in-law of Field Marshal Earl Roberts of Kandahar.

Obtained Rhydoldog in Radnorshire by his third marriage in 1866 to Anne Oliver, heiress of that estate. He died there in 1907.

A Boarder in Manchester in 1871. At the time of the 1881 Census he was staying with his (distant) cousins Murray Robertson and wife Mary at Newlands, Brixworth, Northamptonshire. Sometime of Weymouth in Dorset.

Retired with the rank of Major-General

John Ramsay Sladen, a J.P. and D.L. for Radnorshire (High Sheriff 1875)

Medals generally very fine, all with contemporary silver riband buckles and top riband bars. Mounted on a board for display